Comments on: “There are Some People Who Don’t Wait”

By: Laura Deisley

Laura Deisley — Tue, 24 May 2011 22:41:01 +0000

I think Steve is someone who is right in there with the other learning leaders you noted in your post, Will. He’s hungry.

And, Steve, our 7th grade Global Studies team is about to gear up to redraw what they are doing. After you and I talked, I shared your proposal with them and they are fired up to pilot some of your ideas/work with you. We’re meeting on June 21 and 22. If you’d like to Skype in and chat, I’ll make it happen.

By: Lisa Parisi

Lisa Parisi — Fri, 20 May 2011 10:59:08 +0000

Will, I think we all become parents who wait for the very reasons you mentioned. The social life was very important to my daughter so I kept her in and worked with her at home. I helped her study for tests so she’d be left alone, I wrote homework-not-done notes when I thought it was too much, and I waited. Now, at Gary Stager’s suggestion, my daughter is graduating early. Next year will be her last. Funny that, even leaving school a year early, she will be graduating with an advanced regents diploma and spending half the year in a photography program outside of school. She’s already talking about what it will be like going to college.

By: Lisa Parisi

Lisa Parisi — Fri, 20 May 2011 10:53:44 +0000

So true, Brian. It’s considered extra. And that is the major problem. Instead of seeing PBL as transformative learning, it is seen as what to do when you have an extra 20 minutes. Funny how on twitter and facebook now, all I see are links to sites with end-of-year project ideas. Sure, all the tests are over so now let’s play. I know I don’t have time for end-of-year projects. I am still working on my regular-part-of-the-year projects. LOL

By: Brian Crosby

Brian Crosby — Fri, 20 May 2011 05:31:19 +0000

Absolutely – I’ve stopped a few conversations lately by just saying to my principal or other person, “You wouldn’t allow your own kids to go to a school like this, would you? No PE, no art, 30 minutes of science OR social studies per week, only explicit lessons and practice … I haven’t gotten an answer yet. Only silence.
Brian

By: Brian Crosby

Brian Crosby — Fri, 20 May 2011 05:28:06 +0000

Exactly Lisa – we have to all be doing the same thing until we make it work, and the supposition too often is that if we don’t make the “research based” way work, it’s our fault. I wish I had a dollar every time I hear someone say we need to do inquiry learning, project based learning, active learning, reality based learning … and you can … after your 90 minute reading block, 30 minute reading intervention, 60 minute math block, 30 minute math intervention, 45 minute writing intervention … Now go do all those other things in the 20 minutes you have left!!!

By: Brian Crosby

Brian Crosby — Fri, 20 May 2011 05:22:47 +0000

Hi Dean – Sorry I didn’t get back here sooner – I do what I do because I am trying to make that change from teaching children to be taught, to teaching them to be “active learners.” I’m finding it to be more engaging and thought provoking and when done with rigor (which takes time, the time that we are not being given right now) it is awesome. Students take charge of more of their learning and I find that my “at risk” students start being able to build that schema for the world they are so lacking and makes reading and almost every other subject boring. Doesn’t mean that’s all we do. Still teach reading and math in explicit ways when that is what is required. Award winning teachers like Lisa Parisi and a few others I work with are finding this works and are dying to go forward and make it better … but we are now being blocked, time taken away to the point that it is close to impossible to prove that this style, this new pedagogy could really be a breakthrough. But we have to have time to find what works and dump what doesn’t and tweak and work with more teachers that do the same and make it what it can really be (or find out it’s nonsense I guess). You know, REALLY innovate.

How do we tend to do what we do now? I hate to say this online, (but I did say it to my associate superintendent a few weeks ago) – we do some of it very upfront and transparently, but too often now we have been reduced to “guerilla education.” Sneaking around stealthily doing what we are finding to be valuable. Might sound cool in some perverse way (well we do have some fun stories to tell at times), but mostly it sucks, because we yearn to be supported in what we do.
Brian

By: Voice of the Library: The Students Aren’t Waiting

Voice of the Library: The Students Aren’t Waiting — Tue, 17 May 2011 15:02:05 +0000

[...] Last Saturday, Will Richardson posted “There are Some People Who Don’t Wait” on his blog, weblogg-ed. The post was about teachers who don’t wait…who jump right in, who [...]

By: Anne Smith

Anne Smith — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:42:42 +0000

This is the challenge of being a parent and an educator- I want my children to understand that there is more to learning than tests and worksheets that occupy their 3rd grade afterschool life for an hour and a half each night- this year has sucked the love of learning out of my daughter. Mys on lost it long ago in 1st grade. I want them to show the curiosity and brillance they have for learning in new and intriguing ways. They are able to do this on the open ended projects the school assigns. But, I am a parent and an educator in the same school district and I try to not rock the boat for my childrens’ teachers. I know they are in a different place then I am. I encourage and I suggest but I don’t push. I am the good loyal parent at home relaying the same message every night about homework ” I’m sure the teacher wouldn’t have assigned it if it weren’t important” where I really want to say ” You already spent 7 hours in school, how come all this couldn’t have been accomplished in the classroom? This is CRAP!”

But once again, I think this all pushes me in the classroom to create change for my students and my kids at home. That is one area I don’t have to be complacent but instead can be more and do more. My kids at home and my kids in the classroom will know there is more out there.

By: Michelle Baldwin

Michelle Baldwin — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:41:03 +0000

Unfortunately, I don’t think every teacher with that mindset is in a position to do what I did. Many of my friends are so far along in their ed careers within a school district, quitting would jeopardize their retirement significantly.

I will have 3 kids in college next fall and one who just graduated and earned her degree. It’s still risky for us financially, and every day of the past week, I’ve wondered if it was the right thing to do. When my students look at me and ask if I REALLY have to leave them, I begin to doubt again.

This is TOUGH. I know I have to take action to make change, but there are SO many reasons to stay too. I guess I’ll know more in a few months. Right now, I’m in limbo. I’m not certain that there are a lot of teachers who can afford to put themselves in the same position.

By: Will Richardson

Will Richardson — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:14:29 +0000

After writing that last comment, I’m wondering if I can be classified as a “parent who waits.” Hmmm…

By: Will Richardson

Will Richardson — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:12:38 +0000

That’s exactly where I am now, too. I see my kids going through it and I’m getting more and more frustrated by the day. I think I’m to the point where I would really pull them out, but my fear is more what it would do to their social lives. My daughter loves playing sports at her school, as does my son at his. My fear is that I would have to weather a pretty huge storm on that side, which no doubt may be worth it at the end of the day. Just a huge step to take.

Change will happen, just not in time for my kids, which doesn’t make it any less important, just more depressing for me.

By: Anne Smith

Anne Smith — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:55:23 +0000

Brian- I think if most of the decision makers i.e. school districts, communities,and states actually had children going through the system as they have implemented and enforced, they would reconsider many of their proposals and plans- once all my kids were in school, and I watched the change in their desire and passion to learn become diminished, it fueled more of the fire within me to change. I wanted more for my own kids and my students; I continue to push for more because what is currently in place doesn’t increase their desire to learn, but instead creates a defeatest attitude towards “school.”

Additionally, how many of the decision makers actually take the time to talk to kids about what kids think education should look like and what works for kids. My guess- none.

Change is going to happen. Whether you choose to stay at the station, or get on board, it is still going to occur.

By: Lisa Parisi

Lisa Parisi — Sun, 15 May 2011 23:22:32 +0000

Well, I think they are supporting the “reforms”. They just aren’t really spending time to find out if they work.

By: dean Shareski

dean Shareski — Sun, 15 May 2011 21:25:04 +0000

So Brian,

You didn’t wait, what makes you do what you do? I know you often say you aren’t always the most supported in your work, yet you do great things. How does that happen?

By: Brian Crosby

Brian Crosby — Sun, 15 May 2011 21:17:08 +0000

What I wonder too is – if school districts, communities, states as well as the country really took a look at where we are mostly going in education right now, would they be supportive of the “reforms” being thrust upon us? Would they be supportive of just doing what we have always done (more or less)? Or would they see a need for change and what changes would they be willing to support?